Justin Bieber and a Look At Low Church Attendance Rates

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Justin Bieber has recently said that he does not need to go to church in a possible oversight of the many benefits of attending Sunday services.

Just days after displaying a large tattoo of Jesus Christ, Bieber spoke with V magazine about his views on religion.

"A lot of people who are religious, I think they get lost," explained the 17-year-old singer. "They go to church just to go to church. I'm not trying to disrespect them, but for me, I focus more on praying and talking to Him."

The publicly Christian star added, "I don't have to go to church."

Bieber's opinion falls in line with many reasons that church attendance rates of today are dwindling. People are going to church far less often with the belief that the Sunday ritual is unnecessary in their relationship with God.

Despite many Christians admitting that attending church is a habit, the practice reaps many benefits.

Touching on the subject of church attendance, Billy Graham contributed to The Christian Post writing that "to know and to grow" are key elements in cultivating strong faith.

"God's plan is for us to come to know Him, and then to grow in our relationship with Him," explained the famed Pastor.

Graham noted that "spending time with Him - in prayer, discovering the Bible, and having fellowship and worshipping with God's people" is essential for Christians' relationship with God.

Public worship may be out of the realm of possibilities for celebrities avoiding attention from the media, but Christians who want to grow in the knowledge of the Bible can gain so much from attending church.

Dr. Richard P. Bucher who wrote "Ten Good Reasons to Go to Church" shed light on the many benefits of attending public worship.

Published on the website for Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lexington, Kentucky, the number one reason listed by Bucher to attend church is to have fellowship with Christ.

"Christians gather publicly to be with their risen Savior," writes Bucher. "When they worship, the Lord Himself is present."

Bucher also cited receiving forgiveness, God's Word, and food for your soul as reasons to attend church, among others.

In addition to growing as a Christian and sharing the faith with others, a recent study found a correlation between religious practices and lower blood pressure.

The study, headed by Norwegian researchers, was published last month in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. Speaking to The Christian Post, one of the authors of the study, Dr. Harold G. Koenig, said that the findings were similar to many other studies demonstrating the same trend.

"About two-thirds of the research, now over 60 quantitative studies, report that those who are more religiously active have significantly lower blood pressure," said Koenig.

Churches across the U.S. are being affected by low church attendance numbers. One recent study reveals that only 26 percent of the world attend church services.

On church leader Rev. Jonathan Gledhill suggested shortening church services as a solution for poor attendance. While some congregants say worship services today are too time consuming, discussions about long church services seem to be a touchy subject for many Christians.